Scholastic Press, 2009
ISBN: 0545123267
Available: New
When she was small, Grace was attacked by wolves in her backyard. However, one wolf saved her. Since then, she has been obsessed with that wolf. When she finally meets him her life is dramatically changed.
Steifvater has a new, interesting take on werewolf lore- instead of changing during the full moon, these wolves transform when the weather turns cold. Her take on Grace is interesting as well. Although she annoyed me at times with her aggressive behavior towards friends and family, it’s rejuvenating to see Grace take the initiative with Sam, since most of the current YA paranormal romances have spineless heroines who wait for the hero to initiate all the intimacy. However, in this book Grace is the one who instigates hugging, kissing, and cuddling.
I found it unrealistic that Grace bought into werewolf lore so easily. It would make sense for her to have doubts, instead of believing that the wolf that saved her was actually a human inside. Also, Grace’s parents seem oblivious to everything that’s going on, and have practically no role in the book. Her father’s behavior is repulsive- he leaves Grace in a car baking in the sun, causing her to be hospitalized.
Shiver is told from two different points of view- Grace’s and Sam’s. I disliked this because it gave too much away. I feel that this is why the story dragged, and I’ll admit that it dragged A LOT. If the reader had only Grace’s viewpoint, there would be some suspense.
Shiver was beautiful -absolutely beautiful. It’s similar to Twilight in that both books portray star-crossed lovers in a paranormal world, but I found Shiver to be a more pleasant read, due to its writing style. Not only that, it was less cheesy- no cliché, gag-inflecting phrases. If you’re a die-hard romantic and a fan of Twilight, then I highly recommend this book. Shiver is definitely recommended for public libraries. Fans of Twilight will be ripping apart the waiting list for this book.
Readers advisory note: Readers who enjoy Shiver will probably enjoy Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer, and the yet-to-be-released sequels to the book, Linger and Forever.
Contains: Implied sex, violence
Review by Kakari